Cast parts have many industrial applications. For example, many aerospace components such as those used in gas turbine engines are formed using a mold, which is filled with molten metal. The mold is formed in the desired shape of the part, such that when the molten metal cools and hardens, and the mold is removed, the part of desired shape is formed. Typically, casting is used as the predominant method of forming parts when the desired shape is complex or particularly difficult to form by other methods.
While effective, often cast parts have areas of small thermal mass (such as relatively thin sections) and areas of large thermal mass (such as relatively thick sections). As a result, such cast parts may experience tearing during the cooling process because of the large temperature differentials that may be present between the areas of small and large thermal mass. This necessarily results in scrapping of the casting, lost productivity and lost profitability. A better process is therefore needed.